Typewriters



June 23, 1959 E. Ascou 2,891,650v v TYPEWRITERS Fil ed April 15-, 1958 s Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTCR ENZO ASCOLI BY! 671.01% W I ATTORNEY E. Ascou TYPEwRITERs June 23, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 15, 1958 INVENTOR ENZC ASCOLI BY 571% El wfi ATTORNEY June 23, 1959 E. Asc OLI 2,891,650

TYPEWRiTERS Filed April 15, 1958 a Shets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR ENZO ASCOLJ @w whgz ATTORNEY United States Patent Office 2,891,650 Patented June 23, 1959 TYPEWRITERS Enzo Ascoli, Yverdon, Switzerland, 'assignor to Paillard S.Al., Saint-Croix, Switzerland, a corporation of Switzer and Application April 15, 1958, Serial No. 728,648

Claims priority, application Switzerland May 29, 1957 4 Claims. (Cl; 197-17) As is known, the types used in a typewriter have typing surfaces of different sizes. In order to obtain a uniform impression of all the types it is necessary to be able to vary the force of typing proportionately to their type surface. On the other hand the typing force should vary according to the paper used, the number of copies to be typed, as also the condition of the ribbon, this in the same manner for all the types.

In typewriters in which the force necessary for typing is supplied by the user, the uniformity of typing is obtained according to the experience of the user, who adapts the pressure applied to the keys of the keyboard of the typewriter, to the conditions known to him. This, however, is different as regards electric typewriters in which the force for typing is supplied by an electric motor. The torque which the latter supplies to the driving shaft is substantially constant, so that it is necessary to provide separate devices for adjusting the typing force in proportion to the impression surface of the types and the conditions referred to above.

The present invention has for its subject a typewriter comprising a number of type bars of which each carries an upper type and a lower type, a moving mechanism allowing of selecting which of the said two types is to be typed, a shaft in permanent rotation allowing of driving, as a result of acting on a key of the keyboard of the machine, an element of a typing mechanism provided for each of the type bars, in such a manner as to effect the typing of one of two types of the corresponding bar, a stop member located parallel to the said shaft and capable of occupying two different positions under the action of the said motion mechanism, being provided for interrupting the driving of the said element.

The typewriter according to the invention is distinguished from knowntypewriters by the fact that the said element of the typing mechanism comprises two counter stops adapted to co-operate with the said stop member, the one for typing an upper character, the other for typing a lower character, respectively.

Two forms of construction of the subject of the invention are shown diagrammatically and by way of example in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side view, partly in section, of a typing mechanism of the machine.

Fig. 2 shows, to a larger scale, a detail of Fig. 1.

Figs. 3, 5 and 6 show some control members of the machine located at one of the ends of the motor shaft.

Fig. 4 is a section on the line IV-IV of Fig. 3.

Fig. 7 is similar to Fig. 2 and shows a modified form of construction.

As will be seen in Fig. 1, the machine comprises a shaft 1 located parallel to the platen 2 and driven inpermanent rotation by an electric motor not shown. concentrically to the shaft 1 is mounted, through the medium of a coupling device, an element 4. The coupling 3 is not the subject of this invention and therefore will not be described. It is described in co-pending application Serial No. 647,133, filed March 19, 1957. A two-armed lever 5, hinged to the element 4 at 6, is adapted to actuate the coupling 3. The element 4 comprises a lug 7. -A spring 8 attached to the lug 7, maintains the element in the normal position, which position is determined by the bearing of said lug 7 against a stop 9. The lug carries two screws 10 and 11 adapted to co-operate as counter stops, with a rod 12 passing from one end of the typewriter to the other parallel to the shaft 1 and constituting a universal stop member.

The arm 5a of the lever 5 is adapted to co-operate with a pawl 13 hinged near the end of an arm 14a of a lever 14 pivoted at 15. The pawl 13 is held against a stop 16 by a spring 17. The other arm 14b is hinged to acurved lever 18. Said latter carries at one of its ends a key 19, its other end being hinged to a lever 20 pivoted at 21. A

, spring 22 maintains the assembly of levers 14, 18 and 20,

and consequently the key 19, in a position determined by the bearing of the lever 20 against a cushion 23. The lower extreme position of the key 19, when it is lowered against the action of the spring 22, is determined by the abutment of the lever 18 against another cushion 24.

The other arm 5b of the lever 5 is adapted to cooperate with the bent end 25a of a lever 25 connected in the known manner, by intermediate levers 26 and 27 and rods 28, 29 and 30, to a type bar 31 carrying types 32 and 33. A spring 34 acting on the lever 26 maintains the whole of this assembly in the position of rest, which position is determined by the bearing of the lever 25 against a cushion 35.

Each of the ends 12a of the rod 12 is pivoted in a lever 36 hinged to a support 37 carrying the bearing 38 of the shaft 1 (see Figs. 3 and 4). Each of the levers 3.6, of which only one is shown in the drawing, comprises a toothed segment 39 co-operating with a toothed Wheel 40 secured to a spindle 41, in such a manner that the rotation of one of the levers 36 also produces the rotation of the other. Near one of its ends the rod 12 carries a lever 42 subjected to the action of a spring 43 tending to cause it to turn and consequently also the rod 12 in a clockwise direction (see Figs. 5 and 6). The rotation of the lever 42 is limited by the bearing of a finger 44, secured to its end, against the periphery of an eccentric 45 mounted freely on the shaft 1. On one of the faces .of the eccentric 45 is pivoted, at 46,a lever 47. A spring 48 tends to cause the lever 47 to turn in an anti-clockwise direction, in such a manner as to engage a tooth 49, provided on the lever, between the teeth of a whee1 50 secured in rotation with'the shaft 1. A lever 51 comprises at its end a projection 51a which carries a key 52 adapted to control the motion mechanism and retains the end 47a of the lever 47, against the action of the spring 48, in such a manner as to maintain the tooth 49 disengaged from the wheel 50. The lever 51, and consequently, the key 52, is held in the normal position (Fig. 5) by the action of a spring 53. The eccentric 45 comprises two diametrically opposite notches 54 and 55 adapted to co-operate with a pawl 56 pressed against the eccentric 45 by a spring 57.

The typing mechanism of the typewriter above described functions in the following manner:

Whilst the various members are in their position shown in Fig. 1, the shaft 1 turns in an anti-clockwise direction, without driving the element 4. When it is desired to effect the typing of a lower character 32, the key 19 is depressed against the action of the spring 22, until the lever 18 abuts against the cushion 24. The lowering of the key produces, through the medium of the lever 14, the pawl 13 and the lever 5, the coupling of the element 4 to the shaft 1 and, consequently, its driving by the latter in a counter-clockwise direction (see co-pending application above referred to). The rotation of the element 4 produces, through the medium of the lever 5 3 and the intermediate levers 25, 26 and 27, the rotation of the bar 31 in an anti-clockwise direction, against the action of the spring 34. The driving of the element 4, and consequently of the rod 31, takes place until the screw ltl'abuts against the bar 12 (shown dotted in Fig. 2) and produces the disengagement of the element 4 from the shaft 1. From this moment the bar 31 continues its movement up to the platen 2 for effecting the typing. The force of this latter will thus depend on the duration of driving the type bar 31 by the element 14 and, consequently, on the distance between the screw 10 and the bar 12. This distance is adjustable by the screw 10, for each of the type bars independently, or by the movement of the bar 12 by means or" the lever 36 (see position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3), for all the type bars simultaneously.

When it is desired to efiect the typing of an upper character 33, the key 52 is first lowered against the action of the spring 53 (Figs. and 6), which provokes the pivoting of the lever 51 in a clockwise direction. The consequence of this is the release of the lever 47 from the projection 51:: and its rotation in an anti-clockwise direction, under the action of the spring 48, and, consequently, the engagement of the tooth 49 in the wheel 50. From this moment the eccentric 55 is driven by the shaft 1 in an anti-clockwise direction. This driving continues until the end 47a of the lever 47 meets the part 5112 of the lever 51 (approached by the pivoting of said latter) which causes it to pivot in a clockwise direction, thus producing the disengagement of the tooth 49 from the wheel 5% and the stopping of the eccentric 45 in a position determined by the engagement of the pawl 56 in the notch 55 (Fig. 6). The eccentric 45 thus effects half a revolution during which the finger 4 following the periphery of the eccentric under the action of the spring 43 produces the rotation of the lever 42 and consequently of the bar 32, in an anti-clockwise direction moving them into the position shown in Fig. 6. The bar 12 thus occupies the position shown in dotted lines in Pig. 2, so that when effecting the typing of the character 33, by depressing the key 19, it is no longer the screw it) which co-operates with the bar 12, but the screw 11. Said latter is adjusted in such a manner that the angular distance between it and the bar 12 is greater than that between the bar 12 and the screw 10. Consequently the duration of driving the type bar 31 will be greater, therefore the typing force will also be greater.

When the key 52 is released, the lever 47 is disengaged from the part 51b and the tooth 49 will again engage in the Wheel 50, so that the eccentric 45 will again be driven until the lever 4-7 is stopped by the projection 51a, the latter being again in the position shown in Fig. 5. Thus the bar 12 will again occupy the position shown in full lines in Fig. 2.

As will be seen from the foregoing, the typewriter described above allows of the adjustment of the typing force, not only simultaneously for all the type bars and separately for each thereof, but also separately for each of the types of the same bar and this independently for each of the bars.

Fig. 7 shows a modification of construction. As will be seen the lug 7 only comprises a single adjustable counter stop, particularly the screw 11, the screw it being replaced by a stationary counter stop 58. On the contrary, the bar 12 comprises an extension 12b adapted to receive a row of adjustable stops, particularly of screws 59, one for each of the type bars. The screw 59 is adapted to cooperate with the stationary counter stop 58 of the lug 7. As will be seen readily, the operation of said modification is identical with that explained above.

1 claim:

1. A typewriter comprising a keyboard, having a plurality of keys, a number of type bars, an upper type and a lower type on each of said type bars, a motion mechanism allowing ofselecting which of said two types is to be typed, a shaft mounted for permanent rotation inlsaid typewriter allowing of driving, as a result of acting on one of said keys, an element of a typing mechanism provided for each of said type bars, in such a manner as to effect the typing of one of two types of the corresponding bar, and a stop member located parallel to said shaft and capable of occupyingtwo different positions under the action of said motion mechanism, said stop member serving to interrupt the driving of said element, said element of said typing mechanism comprising two counter stops, said counter stops being adapted to cooperate with said stop member, the one for typing an upper character, the other for typing a lower character, respectively.

2. A typewriter according to claim 1, wherein one of said two counter stops is adjustable, the other of said two counter stops being stationary.

3. A typewriter accordingto claim 1, wherein said two 2 References Cited'in the file of this patent UNITED. STATES PATENTS 2,697,502 Becker': c Dec. 21, 1954 Long. June 12, 19 56v 

